Polaris

UK: /pəˈlɑːrɪs/ US: (pō lâr′is, -lar′-, pə-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Po•lar•is  (pō lâr′is, -lar′-, pə-), n. 

1. Astronomy the polestar or North Star, a star of the second magnitude situated close to the north pole of the heavens, in the constellation Ursa Minor: the outermost star in the handle of the Little Dipper.
2. a two-stage U.S. ballistic missile, usually fired from a submerged submarine.

• short for Medieval Latin stella polāris polar star 1955–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Polaris / pəˈlɑːrɪs/ noun

1. Also called: the Pole Star, the North Star the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, situated slightly less than 1° from the north celestial pole. It is a Cepheid variable, with a period of four days. Visual magnitude: 2.08–2.17; spectral type: F8Ib
2. a type of US two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile, usually fired by a submerged submarine

Etymology: shortened from Medieval Latin stella polāris polar star